Collapsible clothes stand



Nov. 17, 1942. R. D. MADDOX 2,302,233

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES STAND Filed Jan. .9, 1940 2 Sheets-Snead 70 42 3.9 4/ 42 42 L i\ i Z4 3% 6 f5 4 1N VENT OR.

NOV. 17, 1942. DQX 2,302,233

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES STAND Filed Jan. 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Muf ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 17, 1942 I I-UNITED STATES PTET OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES STAND Robert 1). Maddox, Cincinnati, 01110 Application January 9, 1940, Serial No. 313,093

3 Claims. (01. 211-177) The present invention relates to stands and is particularly directed to collapsible stands for hanging clothes, such as hats and coats, in hotels or other meeting places where large numbers of people congregate for various occasions. The stand of thisinvention may be used, with slight modifications, for displaying maps and drawings or may be used to provide shelf space for a great number of articles.

'An object of the invention is to provide a stand whlchmay be readily folded, collapsed or dis-" assembled for moving or storage purposes or easily reassembled for immediate use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strong and durable stand which is relatively light in weight and when in collapsed position is com-- pact, thus requiring very little storage or shipping space.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stand which has a novel combination of ele-- merits cooperating to accomplish the foregoing results.

Other objects will become apparent from the following specification and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the clothes stand. i.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the stand. I Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the clothes stand.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line iii 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The foot members are cast in one piece and have horizontal sockets l4 and vertical sockets I 5 formed therein which intersect at their inner ends. A slit [6 (Fig. '7) is formed in the body of, the foot members and is disposed within the angle made by the sockets. Spaced ears I! and I8 extend upwardly from each side of the slit and serve to clamp the bar to the post when drawn together by means of bolts l9 and I90. Transverse legs 20 extend from the body of the foot members. It is considered the better practice to permanently fasten the foot members to the iongitudinal bar 53 so that the base comprises an integral unit consisting of said members and the bar. The bolt [9 adjacent the bar l3 needs only to be tightened whilst permitting the remaining bolt I90 to remain in a slackened condition in order to arrive at a composite base structure. If desired, the foot members may be removed from the bar each time the clothes stand is collapsed by merely loosening the bolt I9. I

Two vertical posts 2| and 22 are mounted in spaced relationship on the base by inserting their lower ends into the annular sockets [5 formed in the foot members. The posts are preferably removably'held on the base and to this end the upper bolt I90 is left in a slackened condition permitting easy insertion or removal of the posts from the foot members. A crossbar. 23 is supported between the" posts by means of vertically adjustable clamp fixtures 24. As most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 6; the clamp fixtures comprise two pivoted members 25 and 26 which are hinged together by means of rearwardly disposed circular portions 21 which engage a pin 28. The forwardly spaced extensions 29 and 30 formed on the members 25 and 26, respectively, are brought together by means of a bolt 3| and wing nut 32, the reduced end 33 of plug 34 being disposed between said extensions and freely pivoted to said bolt by means of an enlarged eye 35 through which said .bolt passes. The bar 23 has central annular cavities 36 at its ends into which the reduced ends 31 of the plugs 34 are driven to permanently fasten said plugs to the crossbar. As indicated in Fig. 6, the reduced end 31 may be cruciate in cross-section, the dotted lines 38 indicating one arm of the formation.

A flexible shelf 39 is positioned between the posts and comprises a pair of 'channel'irons 40 and 4| positioned on top of the posts and engaglng a-number of spaced webbing strips 42 made of canvas or a similar material which is flexible or pliable but is non-extensible in a longitudinal direction an may not, therefore, be stretched lengthwise when placed under tension. A channel is removably fastened to the upper end of each post by means of a shaft '43 which depends from the central portion of the channel iron and is fastened thereto by anintegral plate 44 which is connected to said channel iron by machine screws 45 (Fig. 4). As shown in Fig. 5, the depending portion 43 is cruciate in cross-section so as to present to the annular depression 46 formed in the upper end of the posts the least amount of surface without materially affecting the strength of the shaft.

The length of the shelf 39, which may be determined by the longitudinal distance between the upper ends of the posts, is less than the entire length of the crossbar 23 determined by the longitudinal distance between the posts at the point where the cross bar is supported on said posts. The lower ends of the posts are held apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between the upper ends of the posts. It will be understood, therefore, that the crossbar 23 tends to bow or flex the posts outwardly intermediate their ends, thereby placing the shelf and base under tension whilst the said bar is in compres- The ends of the webbing strips (Fig. 4) are disposed upon the horizontal portion 41 of the channel irons, a fold 48!) being formed adjacent the ends of the strip so as to return the extremities 48 of the strips to a point adjacent the transverse center of said channel irons. A flat metal bar 49 is positioned upon the strip and bolts 50.

run through the center thereof and are threaded into the horizontal portion of the channel irons to securely fasten the strips to said irons. In the event an adjustment is to be made between the strips and the irons, this may be done by loosening the bolts 50, thus permitting the removal of the metal bar to allow accessibility to the ends of the strips 42. It will be noted that the substituted rigid member and the base would be in tension similar to the condition of the flexible shelf and base of the structure of Fig. l, and the crossbar would be in compression, the stress and strain in said member being created by the flexing of the side posts.

In folded or collapsed position the clothes stand consistsof three pieces, namely, a base comprising the foot members connected by transverse bar I3, the spaced posts 2| and 22 fastenedtogether by means of crossbar 23 and pivoted at the clamp members so that the posts and the bars are in substantially parallel relationship, and the fiexible shelf having the webbing strips wound on one transverse bar until the other bar is in contact with the roll of strips. To assemble the stand, the base is placed on any desired portion of a floor. One post is then inserted in the socket provided for it in the base member while the other post is manually held in an angular position with its lower end spaced outwardly from the base, the crossbar being held in substantially horizontal position. The post of the outer channel iron of the flexible shelf is then inserted inthe upper end of the post which has been inserted in the base. The strips are then unwound from the remaining channel iron and said iron inserted in the upper end of the inclined post. The lower end of said post is then moved toward the base, thus rotating the post on the pivot portion of the crossbar clamps to place the webbing strips under tension. The lower end of the rotated post is then inserted into the remaining socket in the base and in its flexed condition tends to retain the webbing strips in taut or stretched position, thus providing a rigid shelf structure. If it is desired to provide a, permanent clothes stand, it is only necessary to tighten the bolts I in the base to rigidly fasten the posts 2| and 22 thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible stand comprising a base, two vertical posts removably mounted in spaced relationship on the base, a crossbar disposed between the posts, means for pivotally connecting the crossbar and the posts, channel irons, a shaft depending from the central portion of the irons and adapted to be loosely held in an annular de pression formed in the upper ends of the posts, spaced webbing strips supported between the irons and having their ends disposed upon the horizontal portions of the channel irons, a fold formed at the ends of the strips to return the extremities of the strips to a point above the center of the channel irons, a fiat bar positioned on the strips, and means associated with the fiat bar for clamping said bar to the horizontal portion of the channel irons.

2. A collapsible stand comprising a pair of spaced foot members each having formed therein a horizontal and a vertical annular socket which intersect at their inner ends, a slit formed in the body of the member within the angle made by the sockets, spaced ears extending from both sides of the slit, a longitudinal bar received in the horizontal sockets of the members, vertical posts removably inserted into the vertical sockets, means for bringing the ears together to clamp the bar to the members, a crossbar disposed between the posts, means for pivotally connecting the crossbar and the posts, channel irons, a shaft depending from the central portion of the channel irons and adapted to be loosely held in an annular depression formed in the upper ends of the posts, spaced webbing strips supported between the channel irons and having their ends disposed upon the horizontal portion of the channel irons, a fold formed at the ends of the strips to return the extremities of the strips to a point above the center of the channel irons, fiat bars disposed upon the strip ends and. means located centrally of the fiat bars for clamping said bars to the horizontal portion of the channel irons.

3. A collapsible stand comprising a base, two vertical posts removably mounted in spaced relationship on the base, a crossbar disposed between the posts, means for pivotally connecting the crossbar and the posts, channel irons, means for fastening the channel irons to the posts, spaced webbing strips supported between the irons and having their ends disposed upon the horizontal portions of the channel irons, a fold formed at the ends of the strips to return the extremities of the strips to a point above the center of the channel irons, and means for clamping the folded ends of the strips to the horizontal portions of the channel irons.

ROBERT D. MADDOX. 

